Wholesale Silenced By Sound: The Music Meritocracy Myth

Paperback, 256 Pages: Silenced by Sound: The Music Meritocracy Myth is Ian Brennan’s powerful critique of the global music industry, exposing how pop culture and corporate media distort our sense of justice by reinforcing the myth that talent rises on merit alone. Drawing from personal experience and over a decade of fieldwork, Brennan challenges the idea of “genius” by showcasing musicians more gifted than today’s pop superstars—yet ignored due to geography, race, class, or disability. From South Sudan to Kosovo, he records artists in prisons, witch camps, and post-genocide communities, including the Tanzania Albinism Collective, the Zomba Prison Project, and the Hanoi Masters. Blending memoir, manifesto, and practical field notes, Silenced by Sound urges listeners to reject corporate music monoculture and embrace overlooked voices, proving that real cultural change can begin with what—and how—we choose to hear.